spoilers for Samurai Flamenco Episode 17

I’m pretty sure that this sequence is a left-wing criticism of Japan’s current rightward leanings. This is manifested with both anti-manga initiatives and pro-military initiatives. (However, I suspect that the military angle is not what the writers were alluding to, because this episode has a twist ending that I won’t spoil.)

At any rate, it’s extremely intelligent political commentary, even if it’s meant as a general insight into modern politics rather than a specific comment on Japan.